Briefing — August '02

Immunex Doesn’t Want My Christmas Card

They managed, within the first 100 words or so of their July 18^th letter to those of us on the Enbrel waiting list, to blame it on the FDA.  They’re building this “state-of-the-art biologic manufacturing facility in Rhode Island” to double production capacity for Enbrel — which, evidently, is a requirement before those of us who signed up for the new drug will get it — and now they are “working diligently to gain FDA approval of this facility as quickly as possible.” 

Well, they may think they have snagged me.  As far as I’m concerned it’s a race:  Amevive (Biogen) or Enbrel (Immunex).  Enbrel or Amevive.  If Biogen’s new biologic, Amevive (alefacept) hits the streets before Immunex gets their new plant burping out product, I won’t hesitate to try Amevive, first.  And, of course, if it works I might not ever get ‘round to Enbrel.

You've gotta wonder.  Of course the FDA is slow.  (Remember Clinton’s early reforms to get HIV/AIDS research accelerated through FDA and related agencies?)  But it seems more than unfortunate that 26,000 of us are wait-listed.  As a statistic, I’m sure the lot of us help motivate bankers and lawyers to support Immunex in their construction and red-tape processing.  Meanwhile, I’m sure Immunex could care less about the Christmas Card I might have sent them. 

Treats in the Mail Bag

The first three exchanges in this month’s mail have to do with Soriatane, Amevive and Enbrel, in that order.  Jeffrey M. is trying to make sense of the pressure he’s feeling to start using Soriatane.... We asked for and have received a glowing report from an Amevive trial subject (he makes this stuff sound awfully good).... But Mike M. makes Enbrel sound sweet, too....

Dave W. sounds off some more about diets and has good remarks for these correspondents in last month's mail:  Fred, Dian, Rachel and Vix.

New Poetry

New poet debuting in Flaker Creativity this month.  Please read Sharee’s poem, Psoriatic Cry.

*****

With a little luck, I will survive the NPF 2002 conference in Orlando this coming weekend (Aug 9-11) and be back in September with pics and tales to tell!  -Ed

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